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Iran-backed Houthi rebels operating in Yemen show no signs of curtailing their attacks on merchant ships transiting the Red Sea, the US Navy said.
Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East, told The Associated Press that these attacks continued despite the formation of an international maritime mission to protect ships in the vital waterway.
Cooper's comments came after the US military said on Saturday it had shot down two anti-ship missiles fired at a Maersk container ship in the Red Sea after the ship was hit by a missile. According to U.S. Central Command, two Navy destroyers responded to the call for help. The Danish ship was seaworthy and no injuries were reported.
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Hours later, four Houthi boats fired on the same ship and attempted to board it. U.S. forces responded to the distress call with two helicopters and also came under fire before sinking three of the Houthi ships, killing the crews. The fourth boat fled the area. No damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported.
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The crude oil tanker SKS Doyles travels along the Suez Canal toward Ismailia in Suez, Egypt on Thursday, December 21, 2023. A sharp decline in the number of tankers entering a vital Red Sea pipeline suggests attacks on ships are occurring in the area, further disrupting a key artery of global trade. (Stringer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Since October 19, there have been about two dozen attacks by the Houthis on international ships. The Houthis say their attacks are aimed at Israeli-linked ships to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
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Earlier this month, the US announced the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international initiative to protect merchant ships sailing through the Red Sea. Since then, about 1,200 merchant ships have passed through the region, and as of Saturday, none of them had been hit by drone or missile attacks.
This photo released by the Houthi Media Center shows Houthi troops boarding the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on Sunday, November 19, 2023. (Houthi Media Center via AP)
The narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and then with the Suez Canal. The crucial trade route connects markets in Asia and Europe. The severity of the attacks prompted several shipping companies to keep their ships in place and not enter the strait until the security situation improved. Some major shipping companies sent their ships around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, increasing travel time and costs.
Currently, five warships from the United States, France and the United Kingdom are patrolling the waters of the southern Red Sea and western Gulf of Aden, said Cooper, who leads the 5th Fleet. Since the start of the operation, the ships have shot down a total of 17 drones and four anti-ship ballistic missiles.
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Shipping company Maersk had previously announced that it had decided to reroute its ships, which have been stranded outside the strait and the Red Sea for days, and sail around Africa instead. Maersk announced on December 25 that it would again send ships through the strait, citing the operation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.